Water's Good

Limitations of the Carbon Filter Your Refrigerator Employs

When pouring yourself a nice, cold glass of water from your refrigerator’s dispenser, there’s a reassuring feeling your refreshing drink is providing you with pure, contaminant-free water. However, that is not necessarily the case. Even though your refrigerator's water dispenser usually employs a water filter, it is a basic system that typically only consists of a single GAC (granular activated carbon) filter. Though this filter can remove certain chemicals that produce undesirable tastes or smells in water such as chlorine and hydrogen sulfide, it leaves behind many undesirable contaminants.

These filters are made of organic compounds such as coconut shells and coal. Through a heating process, their surface is activated, allowing them to adsorb particular contaminants until their pores are full. However, their capabilities are limited, and are unable to remove impurities such as sodium, microbes, fluoride, and nitrates. 

Health Concerns of Impurities Unable to be Removed by Your Refridgerator’s Carbon Filter 

While sodium is a natural element that is not necessarily toxic, it can cause concerning health effects for higher-risk individuals if levels are elevated in drinking water which can contribute to higher blood pressure according to CT.gov. A study performed by the World Health Organization also notes that excessive salt intake can cause nausea, vomiting, convulsions, muscular twitching and rigidity, and cerebral and pulmonary edema.

Although we are exposed to microbes in our everyday environment, drinking water with disease-causing bacteria, viruses, or parasites can lead to illness as noted on the Minnesota Health Department website. Depending on the type of pathogen lurking in your water, it could cause diarrhea, vomiting, nausea, headaches, fever, fatigue, and, in serious circumstances, death. 

Typically we think of fluoride as strengthening our teeth. However, according to the National Institutes of Health, excess amounts of fluoride ions in drinking water can cause dental fluorosis, skeletal fluorosis, arthritis, bone damage, osteoporosis, muscular damage, fatigue, joint-related problems, and chronicle issues. In extreme conditions, it could adversely damage the heart, arteries, kidney, liver, endocrine glands, neuron system, and several other delicate parts of a living organism, briefed in the present article. 

Nitrates primarily cause health concerns in infants, affecting how blood carries oxygen and can cause methemoglobinemia. Pregnant women are also a higher risk group for being negatively affected by nitrates as pregnancy increases the oxygen demand of the body. However, recent studies have shown that adults who have certain health conditions can be adversely affected by exposure to nitrates as well. The Minnesota Department of Health notes nitrate exposure can cause an increased heart rate, nausea, headaches, and abdominal cramps for some.

Protecting Yourself from Concerning Contaminants 

To protect yourself from these contaminants, you would need a supplemental water filtration system. These systems can have a more profound impact on your water quality and can connect directly to your refrigerator’s filtration system. 

Two systems iSpring offers that are suitable for connecting to your refrigerator are our RCC7 and PH100 systems. 

Our RCC7 water filtration system is a reverse osmosis (RO) system that removes up to 99% of over 1,000 contaminants, including vinyl chloride, chlorine, fluoride, lead (removes up to 98%), arsenic, asbestos, calcium, sodium and more. Additionally, this filter 

1. is comprised of a five-stage filtration system including 
1. a PP sediment filter that removes sediment, dust, sand, particles, dirt, and rust, 
2. a GAC filter that removes chlorine, tastes,  odors, cloudiness, and colors, 
3. a CTO carbon block filter that removes chloramine and harmful chemicals, 
4. a 0.0001 micron RO membrane that effectively removes impurities, and
5. a post-carbon filter that removes residual tastes and odors from the tank.

Our PH100 water filtration system is a reverse osmosis(RO) system with US-made filters that also removes up to 99% of over 1,000 contaminants. This filter 

1. is comprised of a six-stage filtration system including
1. a PP sediment filter that removes sediment, dust, sand, particles, dirt, and rust, 
2. a GAC filter that removes chlorine, tastes,  odors, cloudiness, and colors, 
3. a CTO carbon block filter that removes chloramine and harmful chemicals, 
4. a 0.0001 micron RO membrane that effectively removes impurities, and
5. a post-carbon filter that removes residual tastes and odors from the tank.
6. An alkaline Remineralization filter restores healthy minerals and a natural alkaline balance, while also producing a more natural taste.

Both systems are also designed for easy installation and low maintenance. When connecting the RCC7 water system to your refrigerator, you will need our ICEK kit. And for PH100, you will need our ICEK3. These kits provide you with everything needed to connect your filtration system to your refrigerator so you can begin enjoying crystal-clear ice cubes and superior water directly from your fridge. 

Regardless of which system you decide will best suit your needs, you can rest assured that you are receiving a superior product and a customer service team that stands behind their products for years to come.